[Peetwo]

I concede the LB post definitely takes the frog..   A very typical insightful post from a clever man that has many years of internal experience/knowledge of the strange & wonderful machinations & ministrations of a self-serving bureaucracy..

Also good to see the AP thread - see HERE - has continued with a least some semblance of reasonable discourse without devolving into a gutter-snipe - Trolls must be on hols..   

Continuing back on topic here is Sandy's excellent reply via email...

You quote Jeff Boyd, Chairman of CASA thus:-

"We are working our way through. The ASRR report is my road map of how we are going to make CASA a better organisation "...

Problem is that the first and urgent requirement is for specific reforms and new and workable regulation. How CASA attempts to shuffle its internal deck chairs is not of prime interest.

The ASRR recommendations as interpretated by Minister Truss "agree in principle" and "with further studies" are not enough. General Aviation is dying and needs initiatives from the Board to give the incentive for people to remain in the industry. Not simply a patchwork to take us back to the stultifying past. It can and should do much more than the ASRR recommendations. If the Board cannot take control and cause specific reforms then it has failed.

Policies to ease ASICs, combine with licence and give extra years of validity to longer term participants  or professional pilots. (As an aside, it is clear that many aviators have given up renewing their ASIC passes, it would be interesting to know what are those figures. Maybe the Board can enlighten us.)

Medical requirements as for the car driver for most pilots.

Independent instructors and LAMEs.

Reverse the SIDs debacle, apologise for the LAME insulting media release ("many critical components never checked")  and replace the 15 year control cable requirements. Allow charter engines eighteen years instead of twelve. 

Advise us that the word "privilege" will be removed from the regulations along with the strict liability and criminal provisions, and advise that no prosecutions or disciplinary actions will be taken without full approval of the Board.

The Board should be talking to the Government about airport reforms, incorporating freehold policies, and to State governments about airport planning. 

Specific reforms along these lines would make a difference, wouldn't take ten minutes to think up many more. If the Board commenced to make reforms of this nature it would be very difficult politically for the Minister to sack them. It is up to the Board, they can act by themselves decisively now, or hope for slowing the rate of decline. The latter seems more likely, take the pay and don't rock the boat. 

Sandy

MTF...P2